Rafting in a Canal? A lesson learned

So the most amazing thing just happened a few days ago. I am surprised when I am amazed at what I find in my canals. You see I have seen so much in the last almost four months that little is left that I have yet to find. What was this amazing find? I found a deflated raft. It was wrapped around one of the catwalks on the Butte Arm Canal. This location of the catwalk is near our office, and this particular bridge is surrounded by fencing and locked gates. Knowing that I needed time to retrieve such an item, I waited a day before forming a plan to get it out of the water. The next day after seeing the object I returned with a plan. Step one open the gates on the catwalk. I retrieved my keys and went to work. It is necessary to open the gate to gain access to the bridge, and then one must unlock and open two gates in the floor to gain access to whatever is trapped on the upright of the bridge. After gaining access to the raft I knew I could not pull it out at that spot, therefore I freed the rubber mass and then hopped on my horse to chase it down the fast moving canal. (I ran, there was no horse, this is an expression!) I hustled down the canal about a hundred yards and tried to pull it to shore there but failed and so on went the raft. Jumping back on my horse I raced to the bridge over an adjacent road and waited the few second for the the floatie to reach under me. I put my pike into the water and snagged the raft as it tried to pass. Then with much exertion while fighting the current I was able to drag the raft to the side of the canal. Upon freeing the current I lifted the raft out of the water and onto the shoreline. After a moment of recovery I waded up the raft into a ball and walked back to my truck, where I laid it to rest. What followed was a few moments of then closing all of the gates, and locking them, so as to be on my way. Lesson learned: I love it when a plan comes together!